Discover Norwich University

09/04/2013 04:05PM
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By Ryan Frisch

A Legacy of Firsts

On April 25,
2013, Norwich University President Richard Schneider announced that the school
had received the largest financial gift in its 194-year history, a $25 million
bequest from Colonel (Retired) J. N. Pritzker. “This gift,” said Schneider,
“will transform the university and make a significant impact on future
generations of students and faculty.”

In making the
gift, Colonel Pritzker added, “There is no other place like Norwich University.
This gift demonstrates my dedication to the University, its mission, and my
faith in its leadership.”

While a gift of
this magnitude was a first for Norwich,
the institution has recorded many such distinctions since being founded in 1819
by Captain Alden Partridge. It was the firstprivate military college in the United States and the birthplace of
the nation’s Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) program. It was the
college’s system of balanced and practical education, in fact, that became
formalized as the great American System of Education.

Norwich was the first
private college in the country to offer training in engineering. Previously,
academic institutions focused on the classical studies of letters, arts, and
humanities, subjects that were ignored in military education in favor of
weaponry and battlefield tactics. At Norwich,
classical and military studies were supplemented with courses in civil
engineering. The burgeoning nation, reasoned Captain Partridge, needed people
with the practical skills to build bridges and roads. It was his philosophy
that young military officers trained in a broader scope made better leaders
because they were savvy in commerce and able to deal with people both in the
civilian and military worlds. The term may not have existed then, but Norwich was the first
university to emphasize experiential learning.

In 1820 Norwich created its
collegiate military band—another first and still the oldest one in the country.
It was the first to incorporate physical education in the curriculum. It was
also among the first universities to teach agriculture and to accept
international students.

In more recent
years, Norwich
has continued its tradition of educational innovation. In 1972 it became one of
the first military colleges to admit women to its Corps of Cadets. Annapolis, West Point, The Citadel, and the Air Force
Academy have since
followed. At the time, Norwich’s
acceptance of women was widely criticized in military circles. Now, however, it
is apparent that the college was simply ahead of its time.

Norwich was an early
proponent in offering online degrees, launching its first graduate program in
1997. Students have participated from as far away as Brazil, Canada, the Cayman
Islands, China, Colombia, England, Germany, India, Jamaica, Lebanon, New
Zealand, Nigeria, South Africa, South Korea, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan,
Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates.

Norwich by the Numbers

The campus is located in Northfield, a charming and friendly Vermont
community located just south of Montpelier,
the state’s capital. The school has approximately 2,200 cadets, civilian
resident students, and daily commuters, along with about 1,100 online graduate
and continuing education students representing 45 states and 20 foreign
countries. Men outnumber women three to one. There’s a low student/faculty
ratio of 14:1, with over 68 million dollars in federal grants and loans and Norwich grants, and 98
percent of students receive some form of academic or need-based aid.

The university
is grouped into five separate colleges offering 30 bachelor’s degrees, nine
master’s degrees, two certificates, two bachelor’s degree completion programs, plus
a teacher licensing program and four ROTC programs.

Norwich University
graduates who have served as general officers in the US armed forces total 138: 102 Army
generals, 11 Air Force generals, 9 Marine Corps generals, and 16 Navy admirals.
In foreign military services, 26 graduates have served as generals: 9 Royal
Thai Army generals, 1 Royal Thai Air Force general, and 16 Republic of China
Army generals.

There’s plenty
to do outside the classroom, too. Students can choose from among 80
extra-curricular offerings, including academic and professional societies;
special interest clubs; literary, theatrical, and musical activities;
religious, military, and community service organizations; programming
committees; and more.

Norwich
has a well-deserved reputation as a sports powerhouse, especially in rugby and
hockey, where its teams (men’s and women’s) are frequently among the nationally
top-ranked in NCAA Division III. In all, 20 varsity sports, a variety of club
sports, and unlimited intramural sports opportunities are available.

The
juxtaposition of hands-on academics, a rich extracurricular roster, and, for
cadets, a military lifestyle can make for widely varying college experiences,
especially during the first few months of freshman year. While day students and
civilians adjust to life after high school, those entering the Corps of Cadets
begin “Rookdom.” Called “rooks,” they begin two consecutive three-month
processes (Rook Basic Training and Basic Leadership Training) that transform
them from civilians to cadets.

Campus life at Norwich
is vividly described on the university’s website, where student blogs are
published so that prospective applicants can hear the unvarnished truth. Jen
Letourneau, from Maine, has a tip for
incoming rooks. “Having spent a majority
of my life in Maine,
I find it difficult to admit that Vermont
has a colder climate. In all my life I have never experienced sub-zero
temperatures like I have at Norwich. This may be
due in part to the fact that the campus is located in a valley, which makes the
weather a little loopy. However, you get accustomed to the changes fairly quickly,
and the gear you are supplied with as a rook will keep you warm . . . well,
except for the glove liners. I suggest that if you are an incoming rook, you
purchase a pair of very nice BLACK glove liners. You’ll thank me when you’re
the one in your company who doesn’t have frost bite.”

Zachary Leblanc
of Shirley,
Massachusetts,
has the final word on his freshman year: “So, here I am, sitting at home after
finishing my first year at Norwich University.
I almost never even went to college, but I am glad that I did. Attending Norwich
has been one of the best decisions that I have ever made.”

Student blogs
are yet another new and different form of experiential learning. The university
Captain Partridge founded is continuing the tradition of honoring legacy while
promoting innovation by graduating young men and women who are well prepared to
meet the challenges of life.

What firsts are in Norwich’s
future? No one can say for certain, but Colonel Pritzker’s recent gift ensures
that the university will have the facility and resources to continue to promote
innovation.

Adds President Schneider, “This gift will transform the university
and have an impact on future generations of students and faculty. We are all
here at Norwich
for one purpose: to educate America’s
future leaders. We are humbled by this charge and grateful for the support as
we prepare to celebrate in 2019 the 200th anniversary of our founding.” It
will be the college’s first bicentennial.

Civilian Students at Norwich

In addition to cadets, Norwich accepts civilian
students, both residential and commuters. Whether you’re looking for rigorous
academics, championship athletics, or an exceptional variety of clubs and
organizations, Norwich
offers everything you will find at a large university, with the personal feel
of a small private college and supportive community.

At Norwich, civilian students attend school at
one of the nation’s foremost leadership learning centers, where they prepare
for both academic achievement and success in a competitive global environment.
Civilian and Corps students work together in the classroom, on the athletic
fields, and in the campus center, learning and benefitting from each another.